Unapproved construction: CDA mulls crackdown against illegal housing societies

Warns marketing companies against advertising schemes not cleared by civic agency

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to curb the mushrooming growth of illegal housing societies in Islamabad, the Capital Development (CDA) is planning to take action against owners of such societies.

Apart from the societies, it is mulling action against companies who market such residential and commercial schemes within the limits of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

“First of all, we launched a campaign through repeated advertisements in newspapers to create awareness among the public regarding illegal housing societies and schemes which are being run by without seeking prior approval of the CDA, CDA Building Control Director-II Shafi Marwat told The Express Tribune.

“In the second phase, we will initiate action on sites after fulfilling legal formalities.”

He added that criminal proceedings could also be initiated against owners of such societies if deemed necessary.

In a similar move, the CDA wrote a letter to a marketing company a few days ago warning it about advertising societies which did not have prior approval from the civic agency.

The letter dated August 1, said that some marketing companies were inviting the attention of the public to invest in projects which had not been approved by the CDA and stated that the advertisement was tantamount to misleading and unfair marketing practice and exploiting the general public.

“We will give 10 to 15 days to owners of such housing societies and schemes, real estate developers and individuals, and after this grace period ends, we will launch a physical operation,” Marwat warned.

The CDA has also issued notices to marketing company cautioning them about marketing unauthorised and illegal projects in the print and electronic media or through other means.

“Who entrusted powers to private housing societies to approve designs of houses on their own as it is the sole prerogative of the government to give approval of house designs,” Marwat said adding that only the relevant authority can give approvals of designs.

Earlier, the CDA had warned marketing companies not to advertise projects in without acquiring a no-objection certificate (NOC) or approval of that project from CDA or else face legal action.

Moreover, the CDA had also urged the public not to invest in any project in Islamabad without verifying its approval from the CDA.

CDA had also directed all housing societies owners, managements and individual developers who were building private housing societies schemes in Islamabad to stop construction work and get their building plans approved from the CDA. Failure to comply would result in punitive action.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2017.